white smoke / Need stock compression ratio

Hello,

I have a 96 s/c riv - had engine rebuilt 3 a month ago (it blew rods and crank) and ever since rebuild blows small to moderate sized clouds of white smoke when it has been either 1st start of the day and/or when it has been sitting on in park and then put in drive. It is also throwing P1441 code but idk if that has anything to do with it... would anyone have an idea of whats up with the smoke?

thx

my head gasket is blown but ive been spared the crossmingling of fluids, have you taken it back to the shop? sounds like a gasket leak. i wish i had more advice to give but i dont know a whole lot about engines...

That will happen when valve seals are leaking a bit of oil as well. They leak overnight into the cylinders and then you have white smoke on first start up or after car has sat for a number of hours or if bad enough just sitting at idle for a long period of time.
I'll have to look up the P1441 code, I can't remember off the top of my head right now.

P1441 is an EVAP system code. Shouldn't have anything to do with the white smoke on start up but I would at least have your mech check it out with a scanner.

If they rebuilt the engine, wouldnt they have replaced the valve seals? Mechanic did check out the code but said he doesnt know what it is - apparently a number of things - i already changed gas cap so it is not that, I found this http://www.justanswer.com/view_image.aspx?href=/uploads/Wrenchtech/2008-12-12_203934_P1441_96_Riviers.jpg
diagram which kinda helps but i dont own a reader so i cant move forward w/ diagnosis..[/u]

Yes, they should have replaced seals, it's part of the rebuild.
As far as your mechanic not having the proper diagnostic tools or ability to diagnose a problem......well I'd find another mechanic.
You have exactly what you need for tech data, just need a technician not a mechanic.

As for the p1441 code its usually because of the gas cap being removed while the vehicle is running (At the gas pump) or a bad gas cap, nothing at all to worry about. You need to clear the code with a scan tool or wait for the light to go out it won't happen very quickly, but like they said white smoke usually means coolant or oil in the combustion chamber.

I did take it to the shop today - they said to bring my smog printout - i think ill have to do that next week - but the smog papers read my NOX as 9 at idle and it went up to 74 during the test - is it normal to have that much nox with the car moving?

Its not knocks, it NOX = Oxides of Nitrogen, SMOG
Don't remember what is a normal range. Can anyone else help out.

thanks - i edited so i sound like i know what im talking about

I would have the oil analyzed to determine what or if any contaminants are present in the oil.

Bert

blue/blask smoke...- oil in sylinders (head gasket leaking/ valve seals, bad piston oil rings or all rings)
white smoke - water in sylinders (head gasket leaking)

I agree w/Timo

What does it smell like?
Burnt = oil, sweet = coolant.

Either way, I'd get it back to the guy who rebuilt it ASAP...

well i changed the oil yesterday - used valvoline 10w30 - and it has not smoked today - if the mechanics used cheap oil could that have caused it ? i will see if it smokes tomorrow...

could be. I have seen some pretty shitty oil from some places. Did you have the oil changed after break in, or were you still running on the engine break in oil???

My 2000 Regal will poof a wisp of smoke upon cold start sometimes after the oil has a few thousand miles on it. But that smoke is more of a blue than white.

The Regal has 148,000 miles.

Bert

The oil could have been diluted with fuel (maybe related to the evap code) or coolant. When they changed the oil did they have to add coolant also?

I had the oil changed because it was done breaking in - 500 miles since rebuild - Im pretty sure they did not check coolant - i have not started car yet today, but ill see what happens when i do - Also, after I got oil changed I had them clear the evap code and as of yesterday it still had not come back on... again today may be a diff. story

seriously thanks for everyone's help and input - i really appreciate it

ill update later today

so i checked for the smoke again and it doesnt do it to much if any at startups, but when i am sitting at a red light and take off on green it lets out a white cloud on the car behind me... i still can't figure out what is going on with it

Hello, I searched for it on here and googl, but couldnt find the compression of a 96 s/c riv stock - mechanic is doing compression test and i wanted to make sure what it read is what it is supposed to be...

8.5:1

As Aaron posted the Compression Ratio is 8.5:1,
But what your looking for is the pressure readings that should be found on a compression test.
This I am not sure of. Although any one reading should not be lower than 15% of the highest reading.
Readings are very dependent on amount of carbon build up ( higher reading) to amount of cylinder wear, ring wear and valve wear ( lower compression reading)
A good mechanic will be able to tell you based on mileage of engine whether your readings are Good or Bad.

thanks AA but I should clarify I need the compression for each individ. cylinder.. or are they all the same?

Well he's turning out not to be such a good mechanic,he kept saying it was possibly related to my evap code but im thinking the head could be slightly warped or not on good enuf and they may have just not replaced it or resurfaced incorrectly..? so i want to make sure hes not telling me compression is fine when it is not and he just doesnt want to fix it.